Slide spray device



April 19, 1966 GRUDOSKl 3,246,892

SLIDE SPRAY DEVICE Filed March 16, 1962 Fig. 2

Fig. 3

INVENTOR.

DANIEL A. GRUD SKl ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,246,892 SLIDE SPRAY DEVICE Daniel A. Grudoski, Hartstown, Pa., assignor to Blazon, Inc., Akron, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Mar. 16, 1962, Ser. No. 180,144 Claims. (Cl. 272-565) This invention relates to a slide spray device and more particularly to a spray device that may be aflixed to a playground or swimming pool slide to spray water on the slide bed. i

The invention involves a simple, inexpensive device that may be readily afiixed to slides of different designs and sizes, and that will distribute water evenly over the surface of the slide bed. The water will cool the slide bed in hot weather and lubricate the bed to prevent slide burns and wear and tear on bathing suits. If the device is affixed to a swimming or wading pool slide, it will also serve to keep the pool filled with water as the water is splashed out.

In general the invention comprises an elongated, hollow tube which is closed at one end and open at the other. The closed end is bent to form a U-shaped hooked end portion which engages the slide bed brace of a platform-type slide. The open end of the hollow tube is connected to a flexible tube which, in turn, may be connected to a faucet outlet or a standard garden hose connection. Portions of the tube are crimped so that, without closing the tube, the device may be attached to a slide which does not have a platform by wedging the crimped portions between the side rails of the slide and rails of the ladder supporting the slide. Holes are drilled along the length of the tube to permit water to flow down the slide bed.

An object of this invention is to provide a device which may be easily attached to playground or swimming pool slides of different designs to spray water on the surface of the slide bed.

The foregoing and numerous additional objects, features, and advantages of the invention will become apparent and more fully understood from the following detailed description of the invention and from the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is an elevational view of a slide spray device embodying the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of a platform slide having a slide spray device attached according to one aspect of this invention; and

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary elevational view of a free standing slide having a slide spray device attached according to a further aspect of this invention Referring now to FIG. 1, a slide spray device is illustrated which is a hollow tube having a U-shaped hooked end portion 11, a depending, water-inlet portion 12, and a horizontally extending central water distributing portion 13. The hollow tube may be fabricated from non-corrosive metals such as aluminum or copper, or the tube may be of molded or extruded plastic.

A plurality of openings 14 are provided in the central water distributing portion 13 and crimped or flattened portions 15 and 16 are provided on either end of the central water distributing portion 13 adjacent the waterinlet portion 12 and the U-shaped hooked end portion 11, respectively. The flattened portion 15 located between the inlet portion 12 and the central water distributing portion 13 is crimped so that the inner bore of the tube is not closed, as may be seen in FIG. 3. The flattened portion '16 may be closed completely or crimped the same as portion 15, depending on manufacturing techniques. The end of the U-shaped hooked end portion 11 has a completely flattened portion 160: to provide 3,246,892 Patented Apr. 19, 1966 a water-tight seal. A flexible hose 17 having an inside diameter which is slightly less than the uncrimped outside diameter of the tube of the device 10 is slipped over the end of the water-inlet portion 12. The hose 17 has a standard swivel coupling 18 which may be connected to a faucet outlet or standard garden hose (not shown).

As is shown in FIG. 2, the slide spray device 10 may be attached to a platform slide by hooking the U-shaped portion 11 over a slide bed brace .19. The device 10 will be constrained against longitudinal movement by the hand rails 20 and the slide rails 21 of the slide illustrated. By securing the hose 17 to a convenient portion of the platform slide, the jets of water from the openings 14 will be directed down the slide.

A portion of a standing slide having a narrower slide bed and without a platform is illustrated in FIG. 3. The

slide spray device 10 may be attached to this slide by wedging the flattened portions 15 and 16 between the hand rails 20a and the slide rails 21a. The angle at which the flattened portions 15 and 16 are so wedged may be adjusted to direct the jets of water from the openings 14 to be directed down the slide.

The scope of the invention is not limited to the practice of all the structural and operative details mentioned above. These have been given merely by way of an example of a presently preferred embodiment of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A slide spray device comprising a hollow tube closed at one end, a relatively straight central water distributing portion of said tube having a plurality of openings in substantial alignment and spaced along the length of said central water distributing portion, and a flattened portion adjacent an end of said central water distributing portion, said flattened portion being oriented with respect to said aligned openings to direct spray from said openings onto the surface of a slide when said flattened portion is engaged against a member of a slide.

2. A slide spray device comprising a hollow tube closed at one end, a relatively straight central water distributing portion of said tube having a plurality of openings in substantial alignment and spaced along the length of said central water distributing portion, a flattened portion adjacent an end of said central Water distributing portion, said flattened portion being oriented with respect to said aligned openings to direct spray from said openings onto the surface of a slide when said flattened portion is engaged against a member of a slide, and a U-shaped hooked end portion at said closed end adapted to engage a portion of the slide and hold said flattened portion against a member of said slide.

3. A slide spray device comprising a relatively rigid hollow tube having a closed end and an open end, a central water distributing portion between said ends having a plurality of openings in said central water distributing portion, a flattened portion at each end of said central Iwater distributing portion, said tube being shaped to form a U-shaped hooked end portion at said closed end, and a flexible tube connected to said open end, said openings being in substantial alignment and spaced from each other along the length of said central portion and the flattened portions being substantially parallel, oriented with respect to said alignment openings and spaced to engage the ends of the rails of a slide to direct spray from said openings onto the surface of a slide when said flattened portion is held in engagement with the rail ends by hooking said hooked end portion over a portion of the slide structure.

4. In combination with a slide having a slide bed, the improvement comprising a slide spray device for spraying water on said bed, said slide spray device comprising a hollow tube closed at one end, a relatively straight central water distributing portion extending across said slide bed, said tube having a plurality of openings in substantial alignment and spaced along the length of said central water distributing portion, and a flattened portion adjacent an end of said central Water distribution portion, said flattened portion being oriented with respect to said aligned openings to direct spray from said openings onto the surface of the slide bed when said flattened portion is engaged against a member of the slide. 5'. In combination with a slide having a slide bed, the improvement which comprises a slide spray device, said slide spray device comprising a hollow tube closed at one end, said tube having a relatively straight central water distributing portion, a plurality of openings in substantial alignment and spaced along the length of said central water distributing portion, a flattened portion adjacent an end of said central water distributing portion, said flattened portion having an orientation fixed with respect'to said aligned openings, and a U-shaped hooked 20 end portion at said closed end, the U-shaped portion being detachedly engaged with a portion of the slide for detachably holding said flattened portion against a member of the slide whereby the water distributing portion ex References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 473,716 4/1892 Stevens 239-531 1,550,625 8/1925 Mills 15-602 1,648,196 11/1927 Rohrner 272565 1,971,376 8/1934 Hunt et a1 239567 X 2,589,757 3/1952 Williams 46-1 X 2,605,136 7/1952 Kline et al 239278 X 2,796,011 6/1957 Schmidt 239'-278 X FOREIGN PATENTS 529,320 6/ 1955 Italy,

RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner.

ROBERT A. OLEARY, L. L. KING, F. B. LEONARD,

Examiners. 

4. IN COMBINATION WITH A SLIDE HAVING A SLIDE BED, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING A SLIDE SPRAY DEVICE FOR SPRAYING WATER ON SAID BED, SAID SLIDE SPRAY DEVICE COMPRISING A HOLLOW TUBE CLOSED AT ONE END, A RELATIVELY STRAIGHT CENTRAL WATER DISTRIBUTING PORTION EXTENDING ACROSS SAID SLIDE BED, SAID TUBE HAVING A PLURALITY OF OPENINGS IN SUBSTANTIAL ALIGNMENT AND SPACED ALONG THE LENGTH OF SAID CENTRAL WATER DISTRIBUTING PORTION, AND A FLATTENED PORTION ADJACENT AN END OF SAID CENTRAL WATER DISTRIBUTION PORTION, SAID FLATTENED PORTION BEING ORIENTED WITH RESPECT TO SAID ALIGNED OPENINGS TO DIRECT SPRAY FROM SAID OPENINGS ONTO THE SURFACE OF THE SLIDE BED WHEN SAID FLATTENED PORTION IS ENGAGED AGAINST A MEMBER OF THE SLIDE. 